FY2025: Special Support Earmarks

Fund Codes: 0033 / 192A / 192B / 7061

Purpose / Priorities:

The purpose of this RFP is to administer state legislative earmarks to Public School districts as outlined in the FY25 state budget.

Eligibility:

Public School districts as listed in the state budget.

Funding Type:

State Funded Legislative Earmarks

Funding:

Approximately, $27,436,911 is available across three accounts, fund codes 0033, 192A / 192B and 7061 for various earmarks to public schools.

As outlined in the state budget:

• 7010-1192 (Fund Code 192A and Fund Code 192B) Educational Improvement Earmarks and
• 7010-0033 (Fund Code 0033) English Language and Literacy Programs and
• 7061-0033 (Fund Code 7061) Public School Military Mitigation

Fund Use:

As described in FY25 state budget for the following accounts:

7010-1192 — Educational Improvement Earmarks

7010-0033 — English Language and Literacy Programs
For literacy and early literacy grant programs; provided, that literacy and early literacy programs receiving funding through this item shall submit ongoing evaluations and documentation of outcomes to the department of elementary and secondary education; provided further, that said evaluations shall be compared to measurable goals and benchmarks developed by the department; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to the Essex County Community Foundation for Haverhill Promise's efforts to expand early literacy; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended to the Haverhill public schools for the implementation of evidence-based reading curriculum; provided further, that not less than $300,000 shall be expended for The Literacy Lab for the purposes of placing recent high school graduates in classrooms or community-based early childhood centers to provide evidence-based literacy intervention services to at-risk Pre-K students, and to provide participants with training, coaching, and professional development, with the goal of diversifying the educator pipeline and educating participants on the teacher education and licensure process in Massachusetts; provided further, that not less than $150,000 shall be expended to the town of Stoneham for curriculum improvements for the Stoneham public schools; provided further, that funds provided to Reading Recovery in fiscal year 2025 may be expended through June 30, 2026; provided further, that not less than $440,000 shall be expended for HILL for Literacy; provided further, that funds provided to HILL for Literacy in fiscal year 2025, may be expended through June 30, 2026; and provided further, that funds may be expended for programs or activities during the summer months

7061-0033 — Public School Military Mitigation
For a reserve to assist towns negatively impacted by shortfalls in federal impact aid for the education of children in families employed by the federal government on military reservations located within a town's limits; provided, that any grants provided under this item shall be expended by a school committee without further appropriation; and provided further, that not less than $150,000 shall be made available to the town of Lincoln to mitigate the costs of educating the children of retired-military families.

Project Duration:

7/1/2024 – 6/30/2025*

*Earmarked Grant funds cannot be drawn down prior to DESE receiving a substantially approvable Application Submission as directed in this RFP's Submission Instructions. Funds cannot exceed the project duration end date unless otherwise noted in the budget language associated with that earmark.

Program Unit:

RASP / Federal Grants Unit

Contact:

For questions regarding the grant application submission in GEM$, email the RASP / Federal Grants unit .

For questions regarding use of funds / budgeting contact Jessica Leitz, Director of External Partnerships (781) 338-3103 or Bill Bell, Senior Associate Commissioner for Administration & Finance (781) 338-6528.

Date Due:

Rolling, but as soon as possible. Earmarks can have a start date of 7/1/2024, if needed by the earmark recipient, provided an application is submitted in a timely manner. To guarantee access to these earmark funds the recipients must act and apply in the grants system.

Additional Information:

If you have any questions regarding the funds earmarked in this account, please contact the state legislative contact on this funding.

Submission Instructions:

The earmarks referenced in this RFP will be submitted in our new GEM$ system.

Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)

Earmarks will follow the exact same application process and workflow as an entitlement or targeted grant in GEM$.

Just as with all other grants in GEM$, grant submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for the Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign-off.

All these roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate User forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms.

The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. This form can be accessed without logging in to the system.

Last Updated: November 5, 2024